How To Make Glass Bowls

To make a glass bowl you will need to slump the glass over a mold. Slumping glass is heating glass and bending it into a shape using a mold. Heat and gravity lowers the glass onto a mold or into a mold as it is heated and softened. When you make your glass bowl by slumping, you can use any kind of glass. There are commercial molds out on the market for slumping glass and they come in a range of shapes and sizes.

Things You'll Need

• Glass
• Glass cutters
• Mold
• Kiln wash or fiber paper
• Brush (to apply kiln wash)
• Kiln shelf
• Kiln

Instructions

1. 

   Choose the glass that you want to make into a glass bowl. This can be a glass of any color and texture. Cut your glass into the same shape and size as your mold. You will want the glass to cover your mold.

2. 

   Apply a kiln wash to the mold. Kiln wash protects glass from sticking to your mold. Brush on a thin coat of the kiln wash and let it dry. You will need to apply three coats of the kiln wash. If using the fiber paper, cut the paper to the size of the mold. The fiber paper will also protect the glass from sticking to the mold.

3. Prepare the shelf by applying the kiln wash to the kiln shelf. Apply three coats of the kiln wash and let it dry between coats. If using the fiber paper, cut the fiber paper to the size of the shelf.

4. Place shelf in the kiln and set the prepared mold on the shelf. Then place your glass on top of the mold. Close the lid on the kiln.

5. Prepare the kiln for firing. Program your kiln for a slow fire and temperature for slumping. This temperature is a cone 019 or 1250 degrees but will vary depending on the brand of kiln being used. Start your kiln.

6. 

   Cool the glass. Once the glass has reached the slumping temperature, let the glass and kiln cool down gradually to room temperature. Open the lid after the glass has reached room temperature and remove the glass.

Tips & Warnings

• Use appropriate safety measures when handling glass.

Resources

• Supplier